Effect of vibration frequency on tribological characteristics of vibration-assisted micro-nano machining

Experimental findings regarding the influence of vibration frequency on the machining outcomes of vibration-assisted machining (VAM) have been inconsistent. This work aims to address this issue through both experimental and theoretical analyses. The results indicate that the circuit's frequency response is the primary source of these discrepancies. When the vibration frequency is less than half the cutoff frequency, the friction force reaches a minimum while the wear volume peaks. The solution of the heat conduction equation demonstrated that the acoustic softening effect drives the softening mechanism in nanoscale VAM. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations further elucidate the damage mechanisms during the wear process, showing that high-frequency vibrations contribute to achieving high-precision machining.